The invention relates to tailpieces for guitars of the type which serve to provide both an anchor for one end of each string of the guitar and a string supporting surface for each string serving as a bridge and which further include a means manually operable by the performer to vary the tension of the strings about fundamental values to introduce vibrato or other pitch change effects into the sounds generated by the strings; and deals more particularly with improvements in such tailpieces providing more reliable performance characteristics.
Tailpieces of the type with which the invention is concerned are known as vibrato tailpieces since they permit the introduction of pitch varying effects to the output of guitars, with vibrato, that is, a generally steady oscillating variation of pitch about a fundamental frequency being perhaps the most frequently used one of such effects. Such tailpieces are also sometimes referred to as "tremolo tailpieces", but such designation is not too apt since the word "tremolo" refers to a variation of loudness rather than a variation of pitch.
In playing a guitar equipped with a vibrato tailpiece the performer, as mentioned above, can operate the tailpiece to manually vary the tension of the strings. That is, each string has a fundamental tension, at which it has a desired fundamental pitch or tone, and through operation of the tailpiece the tension of each string can be either increased above its fundamental tension to increase its pitch or relaxed from its fundamental tension to decrease its pitch. When the strings are at their fundamental tensions and pitches the force existing between each string and its string supporting surface tends to hold the string at a fixed position on the saddle providing the string supporting surface, and in some cases the saddle may include a notch which receives the string and aids in holding its position relative to the saddle.
For maintenance of the correct fundamental pitches of the strings it is important that the strings keep fixed positions relative to their string supporting surfaces. However, when a vibrato tailpiece is operated to relax the tension of the strings the force existing between each string and its string supporting surface is also reduced. Therefore, when this occurs a string may shift laterally away from its original position on its string supporting surface, and when the performer releases the actuating arm of the tailpiece mechanism the string may retain its laterally displaced position causing it to be de-tuned. This opportunity for the strings to become de-tuned by shifting laterally relative to their string supporting surfaces is particularly present in instances where the tailpiece is operated to produce what is sometimes referred to as a "dive-bombing" sound effect where the string tensions are relaxed to such a degree that the strings become completely free of tension so as to be loose and able to move in a floppy manner relative to the pickup heads, the tailpiece and other parts of the guitar.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a vibrato tailpiece which avoids the above described possible de-tuning of the strings resulting from temporary relaxation of the string tensions through operation of the tailpiece mechanism.
It is also often desirable when playing an electric guitar for the performer to be able to introduce a muting effect by lightly touching the strings with his or her pick hand at points close to the string supporting surfaces of the tailpiece. A further object of the invention is therefore to provide a means for avoiding the aforementioned de-tuning effect which does not interfere with the performer's access to the strings for muting purposes.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the accompanying drawings and claims.